The university newspaper is slowly being forced into the digital world

Campus newspapers have largely been sheltered from the market forces that have driven most mainstream print media to either adapt or die.

Most can count on their student bodies as a dedicated funding source, which has made the publications less reliant on advertising.

But as at least two student newspapers in Canada teeter on the verge of losing their print editions, some post-secondary students across the country are wondering just how necessary newsprint is for covering their campus, or if digital publishing can fill the need on its own.

During a closed-door meeting last week, the students’ union at the University of Windsor pulled the plug on the print edition of their 85-year-old campus newspaper, The Lance.

The budget was slashed to one-third of its former glory. Windsor’s student government decided that there was no longer any incentive for it to publish a hard copy.

And while that decision is now being reviewed and discussed in a public meeting, it’s not the only example in Canada.

The Xaverian Weekly, at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, has faced a similar struggle to keep the presses rolling.

As advertising revenue at that newspaper fell, the students’ union that controls its budget tried to reduce the number of print issues in favour of boosting the Xaverian’s online presence.

That idea failed, but it’s also the third time the possibility has been raised in the past four years.

Despite their overall protection from the need to generate revenue, pressure continues to grow for these student newspapers, because someone has to pay to keep them in operation.

Darren Sharp is an online editor at the University of Ottawa’s The Fulcrum, a position that didn’t even exist a decade ago. While he sees a future for print products on campuses, he also sees a not-too-distant future when that could change.

“Campus papers are kind of like a niche magazine, in that students will always want to read about what’s going on in their university bubble and picking up a newspaper and seeing themselves in it will probably keep its appeal,” he said.

“That said, students, like everyone else, are now consuming their news in new, different ways. What websites and social media allow student news organizations to do is actually interact with and get feedback from the campus in ways that extend beyond letters to the editor. There’s incredible value in that, and papers who are staying ahead of the curve here are reaping the benefits.”

Sharp is noticing the same trend affecting mainstream outlets sneaking on to campuses: Even free newspapers aren’t picked up as frequently as they used to be.

“Students coming into schools these days are social media savvy and they like their access to information to be quick and easy,” he said. “Not only that, but they’re kids who see newspapers as something of a relic from their parents’ generation.”

But the student press in Canada is about more than just covering university campuses. These outlets play an enormously important role in educating future journalists. Many of Canada’s most famous journalists got their start in the campus press, where they were able to thrive in an environment that promoted experimentation, allowed for failure and encouraged personal growth.

Just like their older, greyer, more well-known counterparts, Canada’s student press will be forced to muddle through these murky waters while also trying to remain relevant to their readers: The 1 million Canadian post-secondary students they serve.

In both of the above cases, CUP has initiated letter-writing campaigns to encourage student unions and universities to use a softer approach in response to falling advertising revenues, arguing that print publication is still necessary while a full transition to digital publishing happens in the background.

Meanwhile, CUP is also providing education and networking opportunities for student newspapers hoping to gain more digital savvy.

But even for an organization like CUP, which is dominated by the generation that came of age online, the transition has been a challenge.

“It’s been a big focus of our conferences in the last few years, but as far as resources go, beyond bringing in speakers at events there’s not a whole lot we’ve done thus far,” said CUP president Sam Brooks.

“The evolution of digital publishing with campus newspapers has been slow,” he added. “Yes, they’re constantly on their smartphones but typically aren’t using them to read the campus newspaper.”

Brooks also noted the gap in advertising revenue between print and online.

“Forcing a publication to go digital only will effectively remove both exposure and critical operating capital, so while progressing towards digital publishing is important, it can’t be the only focus of a campus publication at this stage.”

For Sharp, though, the move to online isn’t a threat but an opportunity that transcends the concern of media executives who have struggled to make it more profitable.

“Online-only or online-centric papers aren’t lucrative, but they are cost-effective and powerful if used correctly.”